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Travel and cultureSat, 03 Feb 2018 04:50:04 +0000en-CAhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4https://i0.wp.com/www.monamusing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/favicon-55668427v1_site_icon.png?fit=32%2C32MonaMusinghttp://www.monamusing.com
323239921319Catalan Modernism: Architecture Tour of Barcelonahttp://www.monamusing.com/catalan-modernism-architecture-tour-of-barcelona/
http://www.monamusing.com/catalan-modernism-architecture-tour-of-barcelona/#respondFri, 29 Dec 2017 15:50:00 +0000http://www.monamusing.com/?p=3986Barcelona has some of the most imaginative architecture in all of Europe. The first time I visited, I was a naive young backpacker with little understanding of what I was seeing, or of the region’s history. More recently, I’ve been learning about architecture in a Design History class, and it’s given me inspiration to revisit places […]

Barcelona has some of the most imaginative architecture in all of Europe. The first time I visited, I was a naive young backpacker with little understanding of what I was seeing, or of the region’s history.

More recently, I’ve been learning about architecture in a Design History class, and it’s given me inspiration to revisit places like this that I didn’t do justice the first time around. For my final assignment, I researched and created this Catalan modernism architecture tour of Barcelona. I plan to use it for a do-over trip to Spain in the near future!

The map

My tour takes you to the most important modernist buildings by the three founding architects. In the map below, you’ll notice the following:

To see the legend, click the icon in the top left corner of the map.

Sights are colour-coded by architect.

The sequence of numbers isn’t necessarily the order for seeing the buildings, but rather the order in which they were built, from oldest to newest based on the start date of construction.

Before starting the tour, a little background …..

Context

Catalonia’s separatists have been making headlines recently, but this is just the latest in a centuries-old history of such movements. The region’s souls have long desired to carve out and preserve a distinct Catalan identity and culture.

In the late 19th century, architect Lluís Domenèch i Montaner launched a movement to create a unique architecture style to represent the Catalonian spirit. Catalan Modernisme would extend beyond artchitecture to other art forms as well. The movement was centered in Barcelona, which today displays fantastic structures conceived by Montaner and his contemporaries — Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and of course Antonio Gaudi.

Characteristics of Catalan Modernism

In the wake of the industrial revolution, there was a desire to bring craft and artistic beauty back into art and public spaces. This yearning spawned Art Nouveau in other parts of Europe. Catalan Modernisme originated around the same time and shares that movement’s affection for curves, assymetry and organic motifs.

The style is in fact sometimes called Catalan Art Nouveau, but the Catalonians incorporated even more eclectic elements to create something completely unrestrained. We see bright colours, creative materials, sinuous lines inspired by nature, Arabic and Japanese influences, Gothic elements and symbolism from Catalan myths, history, spirituality and ideals.

Plan of attack

You’ll need at least two days to see all of these sights. If you have limited time, prioritize the red #1 and #2 spots. These are the most impressive Gaudi monuments: the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. Each warrants a half day on its own.

With a second day, you can visit the rest for a more in-depth understanding. It could make for a long day if you want to tour the interiors. If you are seeing it all, you may want to start with the larger batch on day one and save the two big Gaudi sights for your grand finale.

Below, I’ve discussed the structures by neighbourhood, since that will make most sense when you’re on the ground.

The old city and Gothic quarter

(1) Castell dels tres dragons (Castle of 3 dragons – Montaner, 1888)

We start with the first Catalan modernist building to be completed — the blue #1 on the map. Montaner designed it as a cafe for the World’s Fair held in Barcelona in 1888. The towers have Moorish influence, and the decorative ceramics depict important Catalan figures. At first glance, this first foray into a new style may not seem radical by modern standards, but the exposed brick and visible iron supports were new concepts at the time.

Seventeen years later, construction started on this stunning concert hall, also by Montaner. It’s about a 12 minute walk from the Three Dragons.

Montaner envisioned the building as a magical music box containing sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and ironwork. Both the exterior and interior are richly decorated with organic shapes and floral motifs. Huge windows letting natural light wash over the space were a new idea at the time.

It’s still a functioning music venue, so I’ll absolutely be taking in a concert in this fantastical and historic UNESCO-protected hall. Design nerds will want to sign up for a tour of the interior.

It’s only a four minute walk to the yellow #1 on the map. This is Cadafalch’s Casa Marti and its ground floor cafe, Els Quatre Gats (The 4 Cats).

Construction started in between our first two sights, so you’ll notice a level of ornamentation that falls somewhere between the two. Sadly, the building hasn’t been entirely preserved in its original form, but we still see the characteristic ironwork bars and the expressive decoration on the upper balconies.

The cafe became a favourite hangout for Picasso and other artists of the day, and it still operates today. Although prices are reportedly inflated, it might be impossible to resist going in for a drink, just to sip where Picasso did.

L’Eixample neighbourhood

Next, walk about 12 minutes straight up Plaça de Catalunya. It will morph into Passeig de Gràci, the most famoust street in the L’Eixample neighbourhood. And the most notable block on the street: Manzana de la Discordia (“Block of discord”), were you’ll see pins in all three colours clustered together on the map. Here, each of the major Catalan modernist architects re-styled a home for a wealthy family of the day.

The street’s nickname originates from a Greek myth that had three goddesses competing for a golden apple. The three “godesses” we see here are:

(2)Casa Amatller (Cadafalch,1898-1900) — incorporates Germanic elements in the decoration, like the stepped roof cornice decorated with ceramic tiles. Tours are available if you’d like to look inside.

(2)Casa Lleo i Morera (Montaner, 1902-1906) — the family name ‘Morera’ can be translated as mulberry tree, so the decoration includes many motifs of this tree and its flowers. Online virtual tours only.

(3)Casa Batllo (Gaudi, 1904) — Our first look at one of Gaudi’s works. The building is his homage to the legend of St. George, a martyr who battled a dragon. The roof line takes the shape of a monster with its tiles resembling large scales. The curving balconies represent waves of the sea. Tours are offered.

Still in L’Eixample and just a few blocks northwest, we also find La Pedrera (“stone quarry”). It was so nicknamed because its rough and rippling exterior resembles the rocky shelves commonly seen at open quarries. The roof features a series of surrealist sculptures, and the building somehow appears to have sprouted organically from the ground. Tours are available.

A few blocks to the northeast across Avinguda Diagonal, you’ll find this “Castle of Spikes.” Cadafalch was commissioned to build three houses; one for each of the Terradas Brutau sisters. His design blended them together to look like a single building with a castle-like quality.

Get up close to see all of the symbolism in the decoration, including signs of the zodiac, sailor’s knots, vegetables, fruits and flowers. The residence also features stained glass, ceramic panels, sculpture, metal work and its own chapel with a beautiful altar. Tours are offered.

Grand finale: Glories of Gaudi

A wealthy Count commissioned Gaudi to design what was originally conceived as a luxury housing development. However, it didn’t sell, so they decided to turn it into a public park.

It’s comprised of gardens, benches, terraces, fountains, sculptures and pavilions. It also includes the Gaudi House museum –- a house that the architect lived in. He didn’t design the house itself, but it includes furniture and other items that he created. Guided tours are offered, or you can follow a signposted route on your own.

Gaudi’s unfinished masterwork, this Roman Catholic basilica is the ultimate Catalan modernist showpiece. It was actually started by another architect who had planned out a Gothic church. When he resigned, Gaudi took over and decided to completely re-imagine it.

He spent the rest of his life working on it, but never finished. Not only did he die before completing it, but his plans and models were later lost during a fire. Work continues based on what architects are presuming his plans would have been, and there are hopes to complete it by 2026.

The plan is complex, with three grand facades, three portals, four domes and 18 spire. Each architectural element is symbolic — the facades represent phases of Christ’s life and the towers represent Jesus, Mary, the Apostles and the Gospels.

Gaudi decorated every surface with symbols, figures and stories from the bible. Inside, soaring arches and branching columns climb to meet coloured glass skylights that wash the whole place in soft light. Surely, even atheists can’t help but have a religious experience in a place like this.

Guided Tours

If you want some expert navigation and narration, these guided tour options look good:

Barcelona and Gaudi by Barcelona Architecture Walks — similar to above, led by practicing architects (which will cost a bit more)

Barcelona Modernism and Gaudi — Doesn’t cover the Sagrada Familia, but does include some extra goodies: discount for a guided tour of the Palau de la Música, discounted entrance to Casa Batlló, and free entrance at the Museu del Modernisme Catalàn.

]]>http://www.monamusing.com/catalan-modernism-architecture-tour-of-barcelona/feed/03986Exploring Vancouver Neighbourhoodshttp://www.monamusing.com/exploring-vancouver-neighbourhoods/
http://www.monamusing.com/exploring-vancouver-neighbourhoods/#respondWed, 15 Nov 2017 17:00:00 +0000http://www.monamusing.com/?p=3848Never have I smelled so much marijuana, so often in one day as in Vancouver on a recent Saturday. On the streets, in stores, at restaurants, along the waterfront and wafting from apartment balconies; it was everywhere. Vancouverites have obviously decided there’s no point in waiting until official legalization next year! Perhaps the second-hand fumes […]

]]>Never have I smelled so much marijuana, so often in one day as in Vancouver on a recent Saturday. On the streets, in stores, at restaurants, along the waterfront and wafting from apartment balconies; it was everywhere. Vancouverites have obviously decided there’s no point in waiting until official legalization next year!

Perhaps the second-hand fumes helped us stay relaxed, even though we covered a lot of ground in about 30 hours. We originally planned on a day trip, but decided to stay the night after getting an incredible hotel deal through Travelzoo.

Coal Harbour & Gastown: Art, design and Asian flavours

We started off with a walk along the waterfront, taking in the Olympic Cauldron and Canada Place. And speaking of place, we got a good sense of it by enjoying views of North Vancouver across the water and seaplanes taking off from Coal Harbour. A fun discovery was a 3D orca sculpture created by Vancouver resident Douglas Coupland. I hadn’t realized he was an artist in addition to being author of influential bestsellers like Generation X.

Taking inspiration from my design history class, we walked over to the Marine Building, a pretty fabulous Art Deco office building completed in 1930. As a fan of the style, I was thrilled to see impeccably maintained interior lobby. The stained glass, mosaic tile floors, inlaid hardwood and sculpted ceilings were absolutely glamourous. Since the building is a working office tower with space leased out to various companies, there are no tours or museum-like interpretive signs. But anyone can slip inside to take a look. And should!

We browsed through a few interesting Gastown shops, including Örling & Wu (curated stationery and housewares), Kimprints (humourous cards and novelty socks), Parliament Interiors and the funky flagship location of John Fleuvog Shoes, which also houses John’s design studio upstairs. In between shops, the air was often ripe with the aforementioned distinctive weedy aroma.

After the obligatory stop at the neighbourhood tourist magnet– the steam clock — we went for lunch at Asian street food joint Bao Down. They’ve taken the traditional steam bun and turned it into an open “taco.” The Kare Bear Bao was one of those perfect combinations of savoury, sweet, spicy, salty, fresh and crunchy. I almost felt like — you know — bowing down.

We stopped for a refreshment break at The Federal Store, a cute lunch counter with outdoor tables and tempting fresh-baked goodies. It was a block or two off of Main Street, in a mostly residential area. Much like the neighbourhood homes and apartments, it was decked out for Halloween with a display of pumpkins.

North Vancouver: Microbrews, happy hour views and artisans

We made plans to meet up for dinner with friends who live in North Vancouver. They recommended starting at Pier 7 for sunset views and happy hour specials. We dug into calamari, mussels, truffle fries and $5 wine against a backdrop of pink and red skies, downtown Vancouver outlined in silhouette. A great find.

For dinner and microbrew beer, we took a short walk to Tap and Barrel Shipyards, a gigantic warehouse-style gastro-pub. It didn’t matter that there was a wait, because the staff took our beer orders immediately and waved us to some benches to sip until a table was available. And once we did eat, the plates were generous and satisfying. I had an excellent plate of fish and chips, which paired nicely with once of the brews.

Still in North Van the next morning, we took a brief spin around the Lonsdale Quay market. There were good food stalls, but to be honest the shopping was lacklustre.

Wandering up Lonsdale Avenue revealed some better retail finds interspersed with sunny restaurant patios. Mo’s General Store had just the kind of eclectic assortment I love: beautiful soaps, artisanal foodie items and stylish homewares. A little farther up was the Artisan’s Umbrella, a lovely collection of art, jewelry and clothing designed by local artists.

East Side: Tacos and curated vintage

Leanne had tried Tacofino’s famous food truck in Tofino on another trip, so she suggested their East Side Commisary would be a good bet for lunch. Was it ever. Roasted paprika soup, crisp fish tacos and the chocolate diablo cookie were all so very good. It was worth the hunt for the almost-hidden sign that we passed twice before finding the place.

We had time for one more stop: The Found and the Freed. This one was to satisfy Leanne’s vintage craving, and she claimed it hit the mark. It was a quaint collection of items with history, punctuated by plants sprouting up from all manner of jug, can and jar.

On the way back to the car, there it was one last time: the pungent odour of weed. Oh Vancouver, you’re so flirtatious and herbaceous.